Many people don't understand how drug addiction begins. Some just assume drug addicts have, for example, a weak character and thus are easily influenced to take drugs.
While those who are impressionable are reportedly more likely to abuse drugs, that's not the only reason people become addicted. Drug addiction is a complex disease. For this reason, most professionals first try to discover the condition's underlying cause prior to treating it.
Here are two reasons researchers believe people may become addicted to drugs:
1. Race and ethnicity
While this might raise eyebrows, understand that researchers must study everything to better understand diseases. In turn, this helps scientists find a cure and ensures treatment centers can better care for patients.
"Researchers must study everything to better
understand diseases."
In a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers examined data of 72,561 youths between 12 and 17 years old, and found that 15 percent of Native Americans had a substance use disorder compared to roughly 9 percent for people of mixed racial heritage, 9 percent for whites and roughly 8 percent for Latinos. African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders were all under 5 percent.
Maia Szalavitz of TIME wondered why Native American's percentages, in this particular case, were so high. While her observation is a discussion for another time, we though it was relevant to point out her objective thinking. Asking "Why?" is how researchers, doctors and even authors begin to disseminate fact from fiction. From there they can determine whether drug addiction is actually evenly spread out across races, and, if so, they can move onto other possible causes, such as family history.
2. Family history
Children of parents who were or are addicted to drugs are 45 to 79 percent more likely to succumb to drug addiction themselves, according to a study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
This could mean genetics or a child's upbringing play a role in whether or not they become addicted to drugs. The researchers also made a key observation when they noted a link may exist between alcohol and drug dependency. Solidifying this connection could allow treatment centers to cross over treatment options.
For those dealing with drug addiction, call Fairwinds Treatment Center. Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of drug addiction by using a Dual Diagnosis approach. In using this tactic, Dr. El-Yousef and his staff of full-time psychiatrists, nursing professionals and licensed therapists work to first diagnosis the underlying reason behind a person's disorder. Upon understanding the cause, they can then treat the condition and its symptoms.
